BUSINESS SECRETARY VISITS FORD'S EXPANDING ENGINE PLANT

BRIDGEND, Mid-Glamorgan, 15 January, 2009  –  Ford today welcomed Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to its Bridgend plant, the production location of small economical petrol engines fitted to the UK market-leading Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus.

 

Lord Mandelson visited the high-tech plant which is benefitting from the growing popularity of the all-new Ford Fiesta – top-selling car in Wales and best seller among private buyers UK-wide.

 

Bridgend delivers 1.25, 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines to Ford vehicle assembly plants. In the new Ford Fiesta, the engines return up to 52 miles per gallon, helping sales of the petrol model to rise by almost 20 per cent in the last three months year-on-year.

 

The stylish new Ford Fiesta was Wales' best selling car last year, with Ford Focus – number one in the UK nationally – placed second. Both cars feature engines from Bridgend, where production topped 700,000 units last year.

 

New investment confirmed for Bridgend will bring the next generation of low CO₂ engines to the site. Compared with current larger petrol engines of similar power, these new engines are expected to provide up to 20 per cent better fuel economy, 15 per cent lower CO₂ emissions and superior driving performance.

 

Joe Greenwell, Ford of Britain chairman, said: "Together with the Ford Bridgend team, I was delighted to host Lord Mandelson and show the importance of the plant and its engines. With a combination of lower emissions, plus better economy and performance, these high-quality powerplants are vital to meet the current and future needs of our customers."

Last year Fordannounced an investmentprogramme at Bridgend to produce next generation low CO₂ 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engines.

 

This latest £70 million investment for the Welsh plant, confirmed in October, brings Ford investment at Bridgend to £315 million in the last five years. This additional investment includes Welsh Assembly Government support of £13.4 million.

The new 1.6-litre engines will go into production before 2011 and demonstrate how Ford is meeting future global customer needs by delivering affordable and relevant new technology. They will be among the first of a new generation of global petrol powertrains, known as EcoBoost, featuring turbocharging and direct injection technology. 

 

Ford EcoBoost petrol engines will deliver improved fuel economy and emissions without compromising driving performance and will provide an alternative route to hybrid or diesel efficiency. 

 

In 2008 plant employment rose to over 2,000 for the first time in its 29-year history. The last engine added at Bridgend plant was a premium 3.2-litre power unit in 2006. Used in Volvo and Land Rover vehicles, the compact in-line six-cylinder engine (SI6) is assembled on a Bridgend line that also produces V8 units and features flexible technology – enabling operators to switch between different products. The SI6/V8 flex line installed in 2004 represented a £245 million investment.

 

This illustrates the breadth of production at Ford Bridgend:  four-, six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines with capacities ranging from 1.25 four-cylinder to 5.0-litre V8s.